RIDING IN A SHOULDER-HIP-HEEL POSITION

Due to the wide wither and barrel of the Friesian, it often becomes difficult for the rider to sit close to the shoulder of the horse, which is the most vital area of that breed's back. Suppose the rider can’t drape their legs at that narrower area. In that case, they will compensate for their position by sitting behind the motion - an uncomfortable position for the rider and their horse, which ends up moving middle-back hollow, forcing the horse to elevate their neck and head.  

Top-view pictures of the back –slab-sided on the left, barrel-sided on the right.

One of the most significant issues we have when designing a saddle for the Friesian is that in addition to the ‘top-line’ muscle group (yellow arrows, top pictures), they often develop a compensating muscle group known as the iliocostalis (blue arrows), which makes it challenging to ride a barrel-sided horse.

The barrel-sided horse is not only difficult to ride without doing the splits, but those often additional wide-withers make the saddle sit on top of the horse instead of into the horse - causing ‘behind-the-motion.’                                   

Behind the motion will force the rider to make one of two compensations.                                       The ‘sloucher’ is on the left, and the ‘water skier’ is on the right. 

Both unnatural positions will force those riders to sit against the cantle, hollowing the horse’s back and forcing them into a long frame—which will often lead to suspensory issues and joint injections. 

A big misconception about buying a saddle for a horse with broad withers is that the horse will need a wide or extra wide saddle.  Yes, that might be necessary, but what is more important is the width of the ‘yoke’ of the gullet plate.

Almost all saddles except those made in Germany and Schleese Dressage saddles have the Walsall Plate as shown on the bottom left side sketch.  Although the plate can come in different ‘widths,’ as shown with the green, blue, and orange double arrows, the yoke of the saddle, shown with the double red arrows, always remains the same. 

However, if you buy a saddle with what they call a ‘hoop tree,’ that set of double red arrows may be slightly more comprehensive, which, in most cases, still won’t address the width of the horse’s wither.

The gullet plate on the top of the right picture is what we install in all of our saddles.  The width of the saddle, double yellow arrows, and the yoke, double green arrows, have an infinite number of distances that we can adjust both treewidth and yoke to ensure a perfect fit on the horse’s wither. 

Sometimes, we are asked to make saddles for huge horses and petite women. In this case, it was a real challenge and an enjoyable project.

Whether you are ordering a saddle from one of our saddle fitters covering your area or ordering a saddle for which you either have taken the measurements or we have traveled to your location to make those measurements and received the completed seven-page fitting form, we can relay that information to our saddlery in Germany, where they can make your saddle that will address the measurements that you have provided.

Once your saddle is expertly crafted in 6-8 weeks, we'll deliver it to your doorstep. But our service doesn't stop there. We'll also adjust the saddle on-site to ensure a perfect fit for you and your horse, accommodating any asymmetries and ensuring comfort in your relaxed riding position.

To find one of our saddle fitters in your area, please call:

(224) 447-5414, or Email us at conradreupert@gmail.com.